Body Safety Blog

Here are the average times kids spend at school: 

Kindergarten: Around 15 to 30 hours per week

• Half-day programs: 3–4 hours per day (15–20 hours per week)
• Full-day programs: 6 hours per day (30 hours per week)

Elementary School (Grades 1–5 or 6): Around 30 to 35 hours per week

• Most schools have a 6- to 7-hour school day, five days a week.

That's a lot of time to trust our kids to a school (and system) that we hardly know...

We drop off our kids hoping that they will have a good day, make friends, not be bullied, eat their lunch, have a compassionate teacher, don't get hurt on the playground, get included in team sports, that the teacher makes learning fun, that they don't fall behind academically, or that their school won't ever have to experience a school shooting (a legitimate concern in the U.S.).

And we receive student or school handbooks that cover everything from food allergy policies, anti-bullying policies, fire drills, classroom conduct, lunch schedules, classr...

Apple Is Failing Our Kids: It’s Time to Vote with Our Wallets

Apple is a name synonymous with innovation, sleek design, and user-friendly technology. But its reputation for safety, especially where children are concerned, is taking a serious hit. Despite its promises to create a “safe place for kids,” Apple is falling far short when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable users of its App Store. The issue isn’t a minor oversight—it’s a systemic failure that endangers millions of children while Apple continues to rake in billions of dollars.

A new report by Heat Initiative and ParentsTogether Action has uncovered a shocking truth: Apple’s App Store hosts hundreds of apps that are either outright dangerous or wholly inappropriate for kids. In just 24 hours of research (read full report here), over 200 apps were found to contain troubling content—despite being rated suitable for children as young as 4. These apps ranged from sexualized games to anonymous chat platforms rife with pred...

When we teach kids about safety, we often focus on tools like saying “No,” leaving the situation, and telling a trusted adult. These strategies are invaluable—but they’re only part of the picture.

What we don’t talk about enough is this: Sometimes kids can’t say “No” or leave. Sometimes, their body freezes. It’s an instinctive survival response, and it happens to children of all ages—especially in situations involving fear, abuse, or manipulation. 

But even if no manipulation, threats or bribes are involved, kids might be confused about what’s happening because the adult or peer committing the offense is someone they initially trusted and love- and they might not know what to do- even after they’ve been given instructions or directions on how to handle these kinds of situations.

This is especially true for kids who have grown up in homes where they’re expected to do as they’re told without question.

Understanding the freeze response is critical to helping kids navigate unsafe sit...

Holiday Safety Part 3: Essential Safety Rules for Kids! 🚨

The holidays should be filled with joy, not worry.

These three rules will help keep your kids safe and empower them to make smart choices:

✅ No closed doors – Keep everything open to foster trust and transparency.

✅ No secret-keeping – Surprises are fun, but secrets can be unsafe.

✅ No private screens without permission – Set boundaries to ensure online safety.

✨ When kids know the rules, they thrive in safe environments!

💬 Watch my SECRETS SAFETY MASTERCLASS here! 

It’s never too early to start teaching kids about body safety. 💛

Here’s a simple way to begin:

👉 Talk about Safe Touch and Unsafe Touch using clear, age-appropriate language.

✔️ Safe touches (like a high-five) feel okay, are respectful, and are never a secret.

❌ Unsafe touches are any that make your child feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused or on private parts of the body

Use proper terms for body parts, and remind kids:

✨ No one should ever show them or ask to see their private parts.

✨ If something happens, they can always come to a trusted adult without fear of blame.

This isn’t a one-time conversation—it’s an ongoing dialogue to help empower them. 💪

Ready to dive deeper into teaching body safety in a way that’s empowering and effective?

🚨 Click here to watch my FREE Private Parts Safety Class. 🧡

Reminder: it’s not your child’s job to prevent abuse, but it is OUR job to teach them about safety so they can recognize abusive behavior and be able to tell us!

Watch Part 3 of this holiday se...

The holidays can be a whirlwind of excitement, but they’re also a great time to reinforce safety with your kids. That’s why I created four quick Instagram reels packed with tips on teaching kids about boundaries, private parts safety, safe and unsafe touch, secrets safety, tricky people, and even how to navigate exit strategies in sticky situations. Not everyone catches every post (or uses Instagram), so I’ve rounded them up here for easy access—because peace of mind is the best gift you can give yourself this season. 🎁

Children need clear, straightforward language to express discomfort or assert boundaries when interacting with adults.

✨The holidays are a magical time—but let’s be real—they can come with their own set of challenges, especially when it comes to keeping our kids safe and comfortable at family get-togethers.

90% of abuse happens by people know and trust, and 30% of that includes family members, while 70% of abuse happens by other minors.

Assuming kids are safe at family ...

Have you checked in with your kids today? 💬❤️

The questions we ask our kids can do so much more than spark conversations—they create a safe space for them to share, connect, and even raise concerns.

If you’re navigating parenthood with the belief that “it couldn’t happen to my kid” (NMK syndrome), these check-ins become even more essential. Regular, intentional conversations can be a game-changer for building trust and ensuring your child feels seen and supported.

The holidays often mean extra time spent at family events, holiday parties, or with caregivers as parents manage hectic schedules. Festive gatherings might involve extended family, friends of the family, or babysitters—people your child may not know well or see often. That’s why holiday check-ins are so important.

You may feel you can trust everyone at the gathering, but because 90% of abuse happens by people you know and trust, it’s important to check in with your child.

And it’s not just adults that are a risk factor, it’s a...

In today’s nonstop, multitasking world, staying deeply tuned in to your child might feel impossible. But here’s the thing: being attuned to your child—really seeing them, hearing them, and understanding their needs—is one of the most powerful ways to protect them from the unthinkable. It doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. It’s about being present and showing up with curiosity, compassion, and consistency (at least being mindful to try and be consistent).

When you’re attuned, you’re not just strengthening your bond with your child (though that’s a huge bonus). You’re also equipping yourself to catch those early, subtle warning signs that something might be wrong. You’re creating a safe space where your child knows they can come to you with anything—and that you’ll listen without judgment. And maybe most importantly, you’re disrupting grooming behaviors before they can take hold, simply by being aware and engaged.

It’s especially important when the offender is someone within the fa...

Research suggests that false allegations of child sexual abuse are relatively uncommon outside of specific contexts, such as custody disputes. Studies indicate that false reports of sexual abuse occur at low rates, often estimated at less than 5% of cases.

For example, Yates’ (1991) review found that false accusations in non-custody-related cases are rare, especially when compared to accusations in custody disputes, where motivations like securing child custody may come into play​ (and sadly, this has been weaponized by lawyers and the judicial system to claim parental alienation in cases where children really ARE being abused and the safe parent is villanized for 'coaching' a child to disclose- but that's another post for another day).

Furthermore, in educational settings, Charol Shakeshaft’s research on educator misconduct indicated that none of the accusations in their sample of educator sexual misconduct cases were found to be fabricated.

In these cases, although sometimes ther...

A mom came to me for a consult a while back asking how to deal with her 5-year-old tickling her 3-year-old's privates during bath time.

She was unsure about a few things.

One question she asked was if it was even safe. She wasn't sure that her 5-year-old's behavior was normal, a red flag, learned, or totally innocent. She wondered why her child was doing this since she had been teaching her about body safety and that no one should touch her private parts. She asked if, since it was tickling, it would be considered abuse if it was her child with her younger child.

She wasn't sure how to talk to her child about it besides just firmly telling the child to stop (and this mom found it to be very triggering as she had experienced sibling sexual abuse, so this was freaking her out to see this happening; and looking back on her own experiences made her feel shame and fear that her children would repeat what happened with her- though she was much older with her older brother).

S...